RADIO
Austyn Varney highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 8/22/19, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Welcome to Thursday baseball on FanDuel! We have nine games on the slate, but it sure seems like a lot more. We have a few aces on the slate worth considering, including another game between the Tigers and Astros with a -500 line. The Tigers took down the Astros last night, but it'll be nearly impossible to see it happen again tonight. Without a game in Coors Field, we have a level playing field and many offenses worth considering.
With the whole world shocked about the -575 loss last night, it'll be interesting to see how Gerrit Cole is handled tonight. There are some other options, so it's possible that his ownership is lower than Verlander last night. Let's dive in and find a top play at each position!
Be sure to also check out all the Vegas Odds for today's slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @DFSVarney
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Gerrit Cole - HOU vs. DET - $12,200
We saw the Detroit Tigers take down the Houston Astros last night as +575 underdogs. Vegas has doubled down and the Astros open as -500 favorites with Gerrit Cole on the mound. Verlander allowed two runs, but he pitched a complete game and struck out 11 batters. Gerrit Cole has been even better than Verlander this season, sporting a 2.82 xFIP and 12.98 K/9. Hes been the best pitcher in baseball and there's not much of an argument against him as the best pitcher in all of the league. The Tigers rank dead last against righties with a .278 team wOBA and 26% strikeout rate. This is the best pitcher facing off with the worst lineup. Fire away Cole as the priority of the slate.
Mike Soroka - ATL vs. MIA - $9,300
If you want to fade Gerrit Cole and live on the wild side, Mike Soroka is a great pivot. It's the Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins that are the two worst offenses in baseball and it's not close. The Marlins have also sported a .279 wOBA against right-handers and strikeout 25% of the time. Soroka only strikes out 7.15 batters per nine innings, but he's posted a 2.41 ERA and has gone over six innings in six of his last seven games. He's affordable on FanDuel and will let you pay up for a couple more bats. The Marlins are an inept offense and Soroka will have no problem going seven innings.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
C/1B - Danny Santana - TEX @ CWS (Detwiler) - $3,600
Ross Detwiler has been called up from AAA once again and will face off with the Texas Rangers in hitter-friendly Guaranteed Rate Field. He's been up for 41 innings this year, and has been absolutely pitiful. He's giving up a .425 wOBA to righties and has somehow allowed 10 home runs in just 28 innings. Danny Santana is a switch-hitter, and he's sported a .354 wOBA against southpaws. He's far too cheap on FanDuel at $3,600 and has as much upside as anyone at the position. Don't look past the Rangers tonight.
2B - Brian Dozier - WAS @ PIT (Brault) - $2,500
Brian Dozier is way too cheap for being this good against lefties in such a lethal lineup. The Nationals are putting up a ton of runs every night and it's giving the guys at the bottom of the lineup an opportunity to put drive in runs. Against lefties, Dozier has held onto a .362 wOBA since last season and has hit 40 home runs over. Steven Brault on the other hand, has been terrible against righties with a .347 wOBA allowed and strikeout just 17% of batters. The Nationals righties are a great stack tonight and Dozier is a great way to get affordable exposure.
3B - Renato Nunez - BAL vs. TAM (Yarbrough) - $2,900
I'll play Renato Nunez 100/100 times against a lefty at this price. He hit a home run against one just last night and is now up to 28 on the season. Against lefties, he's held onto a .351 wOBA with a 41% hard contact rate. He faces off with Ryan Yarbrough, who's been an exceedingly average pitcher this year. Th Orioles are expected to put up nearly five runs and Nunez is the top hitter in the lineup. If you're looking to pay up at third base, Anthony Rendon is the top play and one of the best plays on the entire slate.
SS - Elvis Andrus - TEX @ CWS (Detwiler) - $3,100
We're back to the Rangers, as it's hard not to pick on Ross Detwiler and the .425 wOBA he's given up to right-handers. Elvis Andrus is far too cheap on FanDuel at $3,100 and he should be extremely popular because of the price. Andrus is better against lefties and has sported a .330 wOBA on the season. The Rangers hold an implied six plus total and Andrus will be right in the middle of it all. He's a great affordable shortstop option if you're paying up for Cole.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Ronald Acuna Jr. - ATL vs. MIA - $4,400
Sandy Alcantara has been extremely lucky this season, even though that luck hasn't turned into much. He's still struggled with a .320+ wOBA against both sides of the plate and has an issue with giving up home runs. However, his peripherals tell us he's one of the worst pitchers in baseball. With a 6.07 xFIP vs lefties and a 5.10 vs righties, he hasn't done much right. He now faces off with a Braves team that is lethal at home in Atlanta. Acuna Jr. has boasted a .378 wOBA vs righties with 26 home runs against them. I assume guys like Bellinger and Alvarez will be more popular than Acuna, and I think he has the most upside of all in this match-up.
Eloy Jimenez - CHW vs. TEX (Jurado) - $3,400
There are quite a few terrible pitchers on this slate, so we still haven't touched on the White Sox yet. It's more about how bad the lineup is and less about how terrible Ariel Jurado is. Jurado has given up a .381 wOBA to righties with 11 home runs in 51 innings. He strikes out just six batters per nine innings and walks nearly three. Eloy Jimenez has been just as good against both sides of the plate, and he's hit 16 of his 22 home runs against them. You want exposure to this White Sox offense and Jimenez is an affordable way to do so.
